We are at the start of a New Year but one thing that we were unable to leave in the old year is the current economic state of our country. There is no doubt that our country is facing a recession even the Prime Minister has accepted this fact. What is worse though, is that there is no silver lining in sight. Today PUP Representative for Orange Walk South, Jose Aberlardo Mai appeared on our morning show, Despierta Belice, to speak of the general economic state of affairs of our country but particularly looking at the productive sector which is currently in an inevitable downward spiral. Expressing grave concern for our tropical paradise, Mai explained how twenty sixteen is going down in history as the worst year for the productive sector, which includes, grains and vegetable production, forestry, fisheries, cattle and poultry production and even tourism.

Honorable Jose Mai – Area Representative Orange Walk South

“I don’t remember seen the productive sector in such a catastrophic state for many, many, many years, 2016 I believe will be the year that history was made because is it the most horrifying year in terms of production and it is clear that this has happened because of the gross incompetent, the lack of sound policy direction, the negligent and I should say non caring policies towards the productive sector and these are now the results, the effects of what you call a system that has been completely neglected.”

And with Belize’s productive sector struggling to keep afloat, our foreign expenditure, which up to November of 2016 stood at 1.7 billion almost triple the country’s foreign exchange earnings which was a mere three hundred and ninety million, this according to Mai puts Belize in a severe impasse and has Belizeans living in a non-productive country.

Honorable Jose Mai – Area Representative Orange Walk South

“Exportamos solamente 390 millones solamente e importamos 1.7 billones de dólar, the trade déficit is about 1.3 billion dollars, is huge trade balance of 1.3 million dollars and 40% is food that we import things that can be produced in this country, there is no way in this planet that any country will survive with this kind of trade deficit. Estamos viviendo en un país que no produce nada, un país que esta subutilizado en todo aspecto productivo, como llegamos a este punto es una lástima ahora que tiene que hacer el gobierno necesita para comprar alimentos peono hay dólares americano.”

As unbelievable as this situation may seem, it is the sad reality of our country, which according to Mai will not survive much longer under these circumstances, but what is even graver is GOB’s unwillingness to work on a plan to reverse this process, instead more taxes will be imposed on the very people struggling to survive, says Mai.

Honorable Jose Mai – Area Representative Orange Walk South

“You know how the government plans to raise money because he has to find money, they have to increase taxes, ahorita los empleados de gobierno andan en shipyard de casa en casa y creen que ahcen muebles paran y tienen que pagar Business Tax de casa en casa, taxing the already non performing, under performing productive sector, the tax people are in Shipyard, they are in Blue Creek, they are in Indian Creek they are in Little Belize they are taxing the productive sector en vez de que busquen manera de encentivar la production el gobierno anda cobrando impuestos de casa en casa en Shipyard estas acabando de matar el que está en el nopsital.”